So, this morning, I ran across two unrelated web-dev problems, Q1) how to prevent that annoying blue highlight box from appearing when clicking on image map areas and Q2) how to close a modal window (i.e., hide a div) with the Escape key, since the latter feels like a common interaction pattern online today.

Q1: How do you prevent that annoying blue highlight box from appearing when clicking on image map areas?

A1: Do this:

area {outline:none;}

Q2: How do you close a modal window (i.e., hide a div) with the Escape key, since the latter feels like a common interaction pattern online today?